Presbytery Denomination Discussion

Sunday, February 26, 2012 | 5:00pm

St. Andrew’s Sanctuary

 To be addressed: 

Session’s Denominational Concerns

• Why are we having this meeting?

• What has Session done so far?

• The Orlando conference.

• What are the plans moving forward?

• Question / Answer time

Adult Sunday School | Sundays, 8:45 & 10 a.m.

8:45 a.m.   ”Who Really is Jesus?” A study of the Gospel of John. Taught by Pastor Martin Smith.

10 a.m.   The Ten Commandments, taught by Floyd Heidemann

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High School Guys Small Group | Mondays, 6:45 – 8:45 p.m.

Meet in Peter Dunn’s office.

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The Tide Jr. High Ministry | Tuesdays, 6:45 – 8:15 p.m. 

Meets in the Youth Center. Visit the St. Andrew’s Youth Ministry Page for more info.

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High School Girls Small Group

For information on High School Girls’ small group contact Peter Dunn or Jenny Nazarian.

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Men’s Bible Study | Wednesdays, 6 – 7 a.m.

An interactive Bible study for men of all ages. MORE >>

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Women’s Bible Study | Wednesdays, 12 – 2 p.m. & 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 

Beth Moore Bible Study “James: Mercy Triumphs.”  MORE >>

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Pipeline High School Ministry  | Wednesdays,  6:45 – 8:15 p.m. 

Meets in the Youth Center. Visit the St. Andrew’s Youth Ministry Page for more info.

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Mother’s Day Out | Thursdays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Looking for a little time away for yourself or to run a few errands? We offer childcare for children aged 3 months to 5 years. MORE >>

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Crossroads | Thursdays, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

College & Career ministry. Visit Crossroads on Facebook. 

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Intercessory Prayer | Thursdays, 7 – 9 p.m.

Contact Jamie Ates (jates@sntandrews.org) for more info.

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Men’s Grace Walk Hour | Saturday, Feb. 4 | 9 a.m. 

COMING UP:  

Christian Women’s Night Out | Saturday, Feb. 11

Blood Pressure Screening | Sunday, Feb. 12 | Between services 

High School Winter Camp | Feb. 17 – 20

Deacon’s Pancake Breakfast | Sunday, Feb. 19 | After both services

Jr. High Bigger or Better | Tuesday, Feb. 21

Ash Wednesday (Lent begins) | Wednesday, Feb. 22

High School Bigger or Better | Wednesday, Feb. 22

All women are invited!

Schedule: Wednesdays, 12 – 2 p.m. or 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Cost: $20 for workbook.

Bible scholars compare James to the prophet Amos. In other ways James more closely resembles the Book of Proverbs than any New Testament book. Come along with Beth Moore on a journey to get to know both the man and the Book of James. You will never be the same again.

Enjoy breakfast and help support the Deacons ministry! 

Sunday, February 19 | After each worship service

Please join us in Fellowship Hall for hot & yummy pancakes & breakfast casseroles, all served up by St. Andrew’s Deacons! Your donations will go to support our Deacon ministries.

• “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing Baby” Peter Dunn 1-24-2012
• “Who’s the Boss?” Rev. Mark Nazarian 1-15-2012 / Daniel 4:28-37
• “Loving Christ with all our Heart” Rev. Mark Nazarian 1-8-2012 / Ephesians 3:14-21
• “New Year, Goals, and Plans” Rev. Martin Smith 1-1-2012 / Psalm 127

Dedicating our lives to Christ:

• “Giving” Rev. Mark Nazarian 1-24-2010 / 2 Corinthians 9:13-15
• “Growing” Rev. Mark Nazarian 1-17-2010
• “Serving” Rev. Mark Nazarian 1-10-2010 / Matthew 25:31-46
• “A Commitment to Love” Rev. Martin Smith 1-03-2010 / Deut. 6:4-9

P R A I S E    Him:

The following sermons were given to help us P R A I S E God by reminding us of the great ends of Christ’s Church … Proclaim Jesus, Raise up Jesus’ followers, Actively Worship God in the Spirit, Insist on the Truth, Stand for the Suffering and Exemply God’s Kingdom:

• “Exemplifying the Kingdom” Rev. Mark Nazarian 11-15-09 / Matt. 5:13-16
• “Standing for the Suffering” Matt Janosov – 11-08-2009
• “Insisting On The Truth” Rev. – Mark Nazarian 11-1-09
• “Actively Worshiping God in the Spirit” Rev. Bill Steel – 10-25-09
• “Raising Up Followers of Jesus” – Rev. Martin Smith 10-18-09 / Col. 1:28
• “Proclaiming Jesus” Rev. Mark Nazarian – 10-11-09 / Mark 1:2-3

Also, don’t miss these special sermons:

• “Hold Tightly” Chelsea Nazarian – 08-16-09
• “The Church and the Motorcycle Spirit” – Pastor Todd Grant – 8-9-09

Please contact the church office if you’d like to get other sermons prior to this.  Thank you.

“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

Despite the efforts of the marketplace to encourage us to freely pursue our individual needs, desires, and plans, our choices always impact others. Our society regularly encounters the reality that when people exercise “individual rights”, others’ lives are affected. If “I matter most” is the guiding principle, can we fulfill the Lord’s commandment to love our neighbor?

Even in the church each of our individual actions cannot help but affect other members of Jesus’ body. Yet take note of the everyday, highly individualized, first person identity of Jesus’ followers today: i.e., “I’m a Christian”, “… in my walk”, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior”, “… at my church…” Even much of our praise music is sung from a first person singular perspective. Somewhere along the way, personal identity overtook corporate identity. We traded “we” for “me”. The reality is that Jesus did not come just for me but for something much larger than me. To be stuck in first personal singular understanding of Jesus’ mission is to miss the enormity of His Cross.

Our casual use of pronouns reveals that we have often lost the importance of community to effectively carry out Jesus’ call for His church. At times we may even feel alone while at a church gathering because, in fact, we are disconnected, not relying upon each other to bless and be effective in outreach.

Try this the next time someone asks you about your faith. Answer “I’m a member of the body of Jesus Christ.” By this we communicate that we work together to accomplish the desires of Jesus. Something much more hopeful than a “me”-centric vision.

—Martin

How many of us have asked, “Why do I keep falling into sin in this area of my life?” Despite our desire to not walk in such sin, we find ourselves repeating it. The reality is that conquering sin takes more than desire; it requires that we isolate the lies we have accepted and displace them.

Just as a physical infection prevents the body from its intended capabilities, so too can the infection of a lie keep us from the intended holiness that the Lord desires for us. When we accept lies we act out sinfully because there is no check against the lie. This is so deep-rooted that we often don’t even recognize the lie in our worldview (our assumptions). As with physical medicine, an infection must be eradicated. Spiritually this is done by abiding in Jesus’ Word (John 8:31-32). Jesus said that if we remain in his Word that we would know the truth and be set free from sin. God’s Word is truth that identifies the lies we have come to accept and which enable sin in us. Our new spiritual lives in Jesus are to now be masters over our bodies and to identify the lies by which we used to live. This is the process of sanctification.

Can you see why it is so important to be in God’s Word every day? Each day we are asked to accept the values and supposed truths of the world around us. Without the check of God’s Word to evaluate what we are presented, over time we come to accept untruths that keep us bound to sin and lead to suffering. So, will you commit yourself to uprooting the lies in your life? You may not see them yet, but if you remain in God’s Word every day they will become apparent..

 —Pastor Martin

“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…”

Being a follower of Jesus means that we each become part of His presence in this world. For new believers this can be a startling realization. One cannot follow Jesus and be disconnected from other believers. For long-time believers this a reminder that Jesus has prepared works for his church to accomplish, necessitating every one of his followers.

Each of us has been given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit that are necessary for the work of the church. There is real, important work to be done for Jesus’ glory! Are you part of the active work to which the Lord has called us at St. Andrew’s? If so, invite others that may not yet be serving. Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? Read Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-30, and Ephesians 4:7-13 to learn about these. We’ll be talking more about each of these and where each gift can be used in the ministries of St. Andrew’s.

—Pastor Martin

If you’ve lost a spouse, family friend, child or someone close, you’ve probably found that there are not many people who understand what you’re going through, the deep hurt that you feel. GriefShare is a special seminar and support group for people grieving the loss of someone close to them.  This group is sponsored by people who understand what you are experiencing and want to offer comfort and encouragement during this difficult time.

Each GriefShare session contains a video seminar from top experts on grief and recovery subjects. These videos include real life stories of people who experienced losses like yours. After watching the video, you’ll participate in a small group discussion and interact with other people who experienced losses like yours. GriefShare is a nondenominational group and features biblical teaching on grief and recovery topics.  Please join us for the next GriefShare session.

A new group will be starting next spring.

For more information contact Kathy Pinkerton (kjpnkrtn@verizon.net)